1x1 Mare Claustrum

Minerva

Minerva

South of the Border, West of the Sun

@Jeremi

Wherever you are, whatever you might be doing, you somehow receive a telegram. The paper is old, crumpled, and yellowed, and a letterhead reads "WARDENCLYFFE" in a bold, expressive font. It seems hastily written, as if a distress signal. At the top of the paper, next to the logo, some coordinates are hastily scrawled, detailing a location in the North Atlantic, somewhere between Canada and England.

Telegram said:
45°03’31N 31°05’50W

SEND HELP. HELIOS STRANDED. SUSPECTED SABOTAGE. REQUESTING AID. COMMUNICATOR ENCLOSED.
Click to expand...

At the bottom, you would find what looked like a predecessor to a Bluetooth Earpiece attached to the paper. Putting it in your ear, you blink.



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When you open your eyes, you find the ground softly rocking under you. You're in a small but cozy room, akin to a first class cabin on a train. You can hear steam running through pipes and the soft creak of wood under your feet. Soft piano music is being pumped in through a pipe in the ceiling, which is then interrupted by a robotic voice, which is glitching out.


"Dear Esteemed Guest... we are now approach... Helios... For your Safety... Head... the bridge to prepare Docking Procedure..."

There would be a flash of lightning, and outside you could see a large wall, with dim lights dotting its side. It gently stood, rocking up and down on the waves. Small droplets of rain hit against the window, streaking the moonlight against the window.

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At some point she had to learn...not to touch any mysterious tech she found laying in her office. Misty Knight's eyes opened and she quickly got to her feet. What the hell was this place? The first thing she did was run a diagnostic on her metal arm. It was working but as she attempted to crack open the cupboard she realized it wasn't much stronger than her real arm.

Well, at least it was working. Sighing Misty let go and took a look outside the window. Stranded in the middle of nowhere. Great. Who was behind this? Or better yet why would someone do this? It wasn't like Misty didn't have any enemies but this whole thing felt way too elaborate as some form of payback. That electric voice gave her some idea what to do though. Misty patted herself down but she didn't have her gun on her. Even so she could defend herself if it came to it. She looked around for the cabin door and slowly opened it to see what she could find on the other side.

@Minerva
 
@Jeremi

Outside, Misty would find a hallway that lead to a small sitting room. Posters would line the hallway, depicting a more brightly lit version of the large ship outside and a smiling woman in a uniform with the words WARDENCLYFFE behind her, and the words "Sailing to the stars!" on the front.

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The sitting room seemed cozy, with its large globe and plush leather chairs. Ashtrays sat on the table next to a desk lamp and a folded up newspaper. Bookshelves stood stacked with books between the chairs, with small ornamentation such as a pyramid and a Samurai Helmet. The rain continued to hit against the windows and the ground outside, and the piano music continued to come through the metal pipes above.

At the other side of the room, a light blinked on and off next to the door.​
 
Misty didn't like what she was seeing. Everything seemed to be in order but no human being around made her uneasy. In any other situation she'd gladly sit down in one of the very comfy looking chairs in the room and just take a second to gather her thoughts. Instead she picked up the newspaper to she if she could learn anything else about this place. A date, anything really.

Despite the archaic look of this place the technology seemed to be around what she was familiar with back home. Her mind wandered to the blinking light next to the door. Maybe it was an intercom with an incoming message? If the newspaper wouldn't give her any answers maybe the blinking light would?

@Minerva
 
@Jeremi

The Newspaper appeared to be an International Edition of a French newspaper, as the date was in French, but the text was in English. The date read "Monday, March 16, 1896" (Give or take a few days)

The headline was about how the British Navy was on the hunt for the Helios following an alleged kidnapping of a prominent scientist. The article itself just covered how a prominent scientist close to the Queen had disappeared, and was believed to be on the Helios, and that the British Navy, sent to look for him, couldn't actually find out where the Helios was. Lucky you, going to a missing ship in the middle of the North Atlantic.

The light would turn out to be a button indicating a latch. Upon pulling it, the door would open, revealing the boat’s deck. A staircase heading upwards and lifeboat were revealed, but still no signs of life.

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The rain continued to hit against the boat. Lightning flashed in the distance. The boat creaked as it rocked back and forth.​
 
None of that Misty was reading off the paper was making any sense to her. The time frame, the French. Everything coming back to Helios. No crew or other people on this damn boat were still bothering her, but she couldn't do much other than move forward.

The rain hit her face the moment she came out of the latch unto the main deck. Misty had decided that it was best to keep quiet as she investigated the boat. Anyone she might meet couldn't be trusted. Maybe there was something here that she could use.

@Minerva
 
Up the stairs, Misty would find a wrench that could be repurposed as a weapon. Though it was heavy, it may only work a few times as a weapon. Meanwhle, the top of the ship was just as quiet as the lower parts, with the added rumble of the boat's engine beneath her feet. There would be one last room to investigate, and that was the Bridge.

Peeking through the windows, it would be empty, with only a control panel, a button, and a leather bench. A sign stood next to the button, pointing out that it would doc the ship.

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Misty eyed the wrench for a moment before picking it up. At least it was better than just walking around unarmed, especially with her artificial arm acting up like it was. Peeking through the window into the bridge confirmed the fact that she truly was alone on this ship. Most of it had to be automated for everything to still be working as it did.

She reached towards the door to the bridge and stepped in. So far everything had been very unhelpful, but maybe this would be the final bastion for useful information?

@Minerva
 
@Jeremi

Inside the room, the button that said "PRESS HERE FOR DOCKING PROCEDURE!" would be blinking green.

A note with the WARDENCLYFFE Letterhead would be found at the helm.

Scrawled Note said:
Marconi,
This one seems to be broken. Embarking more recently. Please examine receiver.
-N. Tesla
Click to expand...

There was a leather-clad bench in the room next to the button. It seemed that this was just a radio control tower for the boat.​
 
No shit it's broken. Misty thought to herself as she looked through the note. Tesla? Fine, okay, that makes sense , probably. Her focus then went to the green blinking button. She reached out to press it. Better to be safe than have this ship crash into any dock they were heading towards. Maybe after docking she'd actually find someone to talk to and figure this place out.

@Minerva
 
A pneumatic hiss could be heard of the door closing. The small boat began to lurch forward, the engines beneath revving. It moved towards the large wall dotted with lights just ahead. It would take a few minutes before the boat came upon a giant wall, decorated with angels at the side. It begin to creak open, widening, and allowing the smaller boat inside. Outside the window could be seen a large industrial harbor, reaching up high above, where a ceiling couldn't be seen. Large gears and cranes hung above, and several other similar looking boats sat, bobbing up and down in the water, darkened and quiet.

Chapter One: The Wings of Hermes

As the boat docked, a whirring sound of a bridge could be heard. The harbor was large, ominous, and empty. Creaking sounds and the clanging of metal could be heard. It was dark, and oddly quiet. However, her radio, the bluetooth predecessor, would crackle to life. However, it was still full of static, as if the signal was being blocked, or weak.

"He... Anyone hear... Ada Archer Checking all... Survivors..."

The pneumatic lock could be heard again. Stepping outside the room and heading towards the bridge, a large wall could be seen.

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Even this dock was empty, with ti appearing that the workers had scattered and fled the dock. Broken lights buzzed, and crates lay smashed along the pathway.​
 
The moment radio sparked to life Misty tried to get his voice heard. "This is Misty Knight. I'm on a ship in I-don't-know-where...Shit." As the static overwhelmed the broadcast Misty gave up to try and get through. Looking over the empty docks Misty clutched the wrench in her hand harder. All of this quiet was not healthy for her or anyone that tried to jump her.

She moved forward trying to keep her focus by taking a heavy breath. If Misty didn't keep her head in the game she'd already lost.

@Minerva
 
Stepping off the dock, a sign marked "LONDON" could be seen next to the dock where Misty stepped off. Across the way, another sign read "STOCKHOLM" indicating that was were the boats were coming from. A bit forward, past several crates, scattered luggage, and welcome signs, was a gatehouse, and behind it was a drawbridge leading to a bronze globe, framed by spotlights, and followed by a large door marked, once again, by WARDENCLYFFE. A brass recording, akin to that of a modern day news intro, played as she stepped towards it.

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Unfortunately, as she crossed, Misty could feel like she was being watched from somewhere nearby...​
 
Misty had had that feeling too many times to count and it was never a good one. Eyes prying into her from someplace unseen. Obviously, one option she had was to start hollering and shouting for whoever it was to come out. Sometimes a good option but with all the variables in play it didn’t feel like the best course of action. Instead, she continued on through the docks keeping her guard up for whenever her stalker wanted to reveal themselves.

@Minerva
 
Out of the corner of your eye, you see a figure standing in a security station on another dock, but when you blink they're gone, and the light is off. Was it just a trick of the light? Some heat?

Continuing onwards, the Globe is lit on the world's major cities. Paris, London, New York, Tokyo, it's all there, with a flourescent buzzing, and faded Big Band music playing as if on a broken record player. Behind that, a large metal door stands next to a map of the ship's rear. Spotlights flashed on the gold door with that same gold Wardenclyffe Emblem. It was slightly ajar, as if something had opened it.

However, something seems wrong. Black particles flow from it, being blown by a frigid wind. A green light slightly inside blinks on and off, and the air coming from the room smells stale...
 
Fuck. That doesn't look good. None of it looks good. Misty's eyes stay on the black particles floating around. Was this magic related? Everything always became more of a mess with magic involved. She took a step towards the door and used the wrench to push the door up further. Whatever was waiting inside it definitely wasn't sunshine and rainbows.

@Minerva
 
@Jeremi

Misty slipped through the large gap in the door. However, once she made it to the other side, the door sealed behind her with a loud, echoing CLANG. Behind the door would be the word QUARANTINE, hastily and sloppily written in red paint, but still clear as day. The ship continued its sway and creaked loudly with a slight shift. A distant roar of some kind, perhaps wood shifting, could be heard.

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Behind her, the fluorescent buzzing would continue, and it would appear to be coming from a lit, old fashioned elevator. Around the room, which appeared to be a lobby from the chairs and desks spread about, was covered with abandoned luggage and knocked over luggage carts. It seems to have been abandoned in a haste.​
 
Great. Misty's curiosity would end up killing her. She seemed to have stumbled into some sort of pandemic by the looks of it. Did that mean she was infected with whatever it was too? Brushing that thought aside for the moment and looked over the luggage to see if she could find anything else useful.

She knew she'd have to use that elevator to get anywhere else...but as the situation was she really would've liked to take the stairs instead.

@Minerva
 
@Jeremi

As she shuffled through the clothing and various passports, finding nothing useful except for names of new arrivals and the departments they were meant to work in (Including a guest actor under the name "Hildred Castaigne"), the radio would crackle to life again.

"Finally. A clear signal." The voice said. It was a woman, the same voice that could be heard last time the radio came on. "This is Ada Archer, Lead Researcher of the Dimensional Physics lab. I'm..." She sighed on the other end. "I don't actually know where I am, but if you can hear me, I need your help."

The ship would make a large creaking sound again as it rocked up and down.
 
Finally someone else to talk. "This is Misty Knight, what the hell is going on out here?" She wasn't going to beat around the bush about how she was feeling about the situation. "I have no clue how I ended up on this damn boat and I think I've been doing some time travelling or something. So as you can guess I'm quite...peeved to say the least."

@Minerva
 
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